sku# qcc-ug-4554 - sanford harmony...sku# qcc-ug-4554 upper grade. quick connection cards contain...
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SKU# QCC-UG-4554
UPPER GRADE
QUICK CONNECTION CARDS CONTAIN IDEAS FOR BRIEF DISCUSSIONS AND ACTIVITIES THAT PROVIDE PEERS WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO SHARE, THINK, COLLABORATE, AND HAVE FUN TOGETHER
Quick Conversation Cards Discussion questions that allow students to get to know one another
Quick Collaboration Cards Ideas for fun activities that promote joint problem solving and cooperation
Quick Community Builders Enjoyable activities designed to bring students in the classroom together to work and play as a team
For more great resources to help build harmony in your classroom, visit sanfordharmony.org
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
“People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be.”
– Abraham Lincoln
What is something that you think about or do that makes
you happy, even when you’re feeling down?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
“To have a friend and be a friend is what makes life worthwhile.”
– Unknown
Do you think friends are important?
Why or why not?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
If you were talking to someone younger than you, what would you tell him or her about being
in this grade?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What do you like best about being at school?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
If you could change any rule in our classroom or make a new rule, what would it be?
What do you think would happen?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
“For in every adult there dwells the child that was, and in every
child there lies the adult that will be.”
– John Connolly
Would you rather be a kid or an adult?
Why?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
“Everyone has a gift for something, even if it is the gift
of being a good friend.”
– Marian Anderson
What is a gift you could give or receive that you can’t buy
in a store?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
If you could meet any famous person and ask him or her a
question, who would it be and what would you ask?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
“The greatest gift that you can give to others is the gift of unconditional
love and acceptance.”
– Brian Tracy
What does “unconditional love and acceptance” mean to you?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
Have you had any habits you have tried to break?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What time of day do you like to have a snack?
What is your favorite snack?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”
– Virginia Woolf
What is your favorite meal?
Who makes it, and who eats it with you?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
“It is the things in common that make relationships
enjoyable, but it is the little differences that make them interesting.”
– Todd Ruthman
What is something you and your current buddy have in common?
What is something that makes you different?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
Would you rather go back in time or into the future to
meet someone?
Who would you like to meet?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What belongings do you have now that you hope to still have
when you are an adult?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
If you were spending the day with a child your age that spoke a different language, what would
you want to do together?
Do you think you could do this successfully?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
If someone close to you owned a store and you could have whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted from the store, what would you
want it to be?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What are you looking forward to about next summer?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What job would you like to have when you grow up?
What do you learn in school that might help you someday
in your future job?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
Would you like to go on a vacation or an adventure?
Where would you go, and who would you go with?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What is your favorite thing to do?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
If you were spending a week in a secluded cabin with no electricity or internet, what five things would you bring?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What is the first thing you do when you get home from school?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way
to succeed is always to try just one more time.”
– Thomas Edison
What might make you feel like giving up?
What motivates you to keep trying?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
If you moved to a different city, what would you miss
most about our class?
What would you miss most about our school?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What would be a great surprise to find in or on your desk?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
“Always walk through life as if you have something
new to learn and you will.”
– Vernon Howard
What would you like to learn how to do and why?
How could you go about learning it?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
“The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can
take it away from you.”
– B.B. King
What is something new that you have learned to do recently?
How did you learn it?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
“Friendship isn’t about whom you have known the longest... It’s about
who came, and never left your side…”
– Unknown
Which qualities make a good friend?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
“A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing
it back to you when you have forgotten the words.”
– Unknown
How would someone close to you describe you?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
If you had to stay inside all day, how would you spend your time?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
If you had to stay outside all day, how would you spend your time?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
“Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.”
– William Penn
What is a strategy that can help you to use your time wisely?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
“You may delay, but time will not.”
– Benjamin Franklin
What is something you procrastinate doing?
Why?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
“Lost time is never found again.”
– Benjamin Franklin
What is something you think is a waste of your time?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
“We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is
always ripe to do right.”
– Nelson Mandela
What do you wish you could spend more time doing?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What is your favorite TV show? Why do you like it?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What is your favorite movie?
Why do you like it?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What is your favorite game?
Who taught you how to play?
Who usually plays it with you?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
Do you like to read?
What is your favorite book?
What are your favorite types of books?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
Where is the most exciting place you have been in the last year?
What did you do there?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What do you like to do on weekends?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
Do you have any brothers or sisters?
How many?
If not, do you think you would like to have brothers or sisters?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What do you usually like to do during recess?
Is there anything new you would like to try during recess?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
If you could ask anyone to teach you something,
who would you ask and what would you want to learn?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
“Don’t let the fear of striking out hold you back.”
– Babe Ruth
Is there something you are afraid to try?
Why?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What hurts your feelings?
What did you do the last time your feelings were hurt?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
When you are feeling sad, what do you do to feel better?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
If you could choose to be any age forever, what age
would you choose?
Why?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
If you could witness any past, present, or future event,
what would it be and why?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
Do you have any pets?
What kind and how many?
If not, is there a pet you would like to have?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
If you could change your name, would you?
What name would you choose?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
Are you a morning person or a night person?
Why do you think that is?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
If you were stuck in an elevator with one person,
who would you want the person to be?
What would you do to pass the time?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
If you could switch places with one person
for a day, who would it be?
What would you do?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What is something that you do really well?
How did you learn that skill?
Was it difficult to learn?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
When was the last time you were really upset?
What happened?
How did you resolve the issue?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
If you could snap your fingers and appear somewhere
else in the world, where would you be?
What would you do there?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
“In this world it is not what we take up, but what we give up,
that makes us rich.”
– Henry Ward Beecher
What is something you could “give up” to make a difference
in someone else’s life?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What accomplishment has made you proud, and what did
you do to celebrate?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
– Gandhi
If you could change one thing about the world, what would
it be and why?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
If you could be invisible, where would you go?
What would you do?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What is your favorite color?
What belongings do you have that are this color?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
Do you have any pet peeves– things people do that
really bother you?
What are they?
What do you do when someone is committing one
of your pet peeves?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What is your favorite season?
What kind of activities do you like to do during
that season?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What is the last thing you do before you go to bed at night?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
Would you rather eat breakfast for dinner or eat dinner for breakfast?
What would you choose to eat?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life,
what would you choose?
Do you think you would like that?
Or would it get boring?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
Would you rather live on a space station or in a submarine?
Why?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What job would you like to try for a day?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What is one thing that your parents make you do
that you really don’t want to do?
How do you respond when they ask you to do it?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
How do you think it would feel to be the President of
the United States?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What is your favorite outfit?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
If you could have lunch with someone famous,
who would it be?
What would you talk about?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What did you do the last time you stayed home from
school because you were sick?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
If you could completely redecorate your room,
how would it look?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What is the nicest thing that someone else has
done for you?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
Have you ever seen someone get teased or bullied?
How did you feel?
What did you do?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What is something that makes you feel nervous or worried?
What do you do to feel better?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
“You sort of start thinking anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve.”
– Ginny Weasley (Harry Potter and the Order
of the Phoenix)
What is something that you would feel nervous or afraid
to do alone?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
Is there something about you, or something you have
done, that would surprise your classmates if they knew?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
Has anyone ever assumed something about you that
wasn’t true?
What did you do?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What do you do in the morning before you leave
for school?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
“There is no better exercise for the heart than reaching down and
lifting people up.”
– John Holmes
What have you done that made a difference in someone else’s life?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
“Don’t let what you can’t do stop you from doing what you can do.”
– John Wooden
What are three things that you would like to accomplish
in the next year?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
“It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but
just as much to stand up to our friends.”
– Albus Dumbledore (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone)
Have you ever had to stand up to others because of something
you believed was right (or wrong)?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
“Your mind is like this water... When it is agitated it becomes difficult
to see, but if you allow it to settle, the answer becomes clear.”
– Master Oogway (Kung Fu Panda)
Where do you like to go when you want some quiet or alone
time to think?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
“The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter.”
– Mark Twain
What is something that has made you laugh this week?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
“There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.”
– Charles Dickens
Who makes you laugh?
Why?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
“Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you.”
– Dr. Seuss
What has made you feel proud?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”
– Henry Ford
What is something that you have accomplished
as part of a team?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What is something for which you are thankful?
How do you show that you are thankful?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
If you could choose to be anywhere in nature,
(e.g., beach, mountains, icecap, desert) where would you be?
Why?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What is something you have made or created recently?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What is something that you have learned from
someone close to you?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What would be your perfect day?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What is something you can’t live without?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
If you could be in a movie, which one would you be in, and what character would you play?
CONVERSATIONS
UPPER GRADE
What is your favorite holiday?
Why?
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
ACROSTIC POETRYCreate an acrostic poem from the
word _____ with your buddy.
An acrostic poem is when the first letters of each line spell out a word.
Materials: Paper and pencils
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
BACK-TO-BACK BUDDY BALL
Stand back-to-back with your buddy with a ball placed between you. Walk across the room without letting the ball fall to the ground.
Materials: Balls
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
BACKWARDS SCATTERGORIES
Make a list of items with your buddy that begin with the letter __ , and fall under the category of ______
(e.g., animals, fruit, places).
Materials: Paper and pencils
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
KEEP IT UPToss a balloon back and forth
with your buddy. Keep it off the floor as long as possible.
Materials: Balloons
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
CREATURE CREATIONCreate a creature with your buddy
out of recyclable objects.
Materials: Recyclable objects (cardboard tubes, string, paper,
plastic bottles, etc.), tape or glue
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
HOKEY HANDSHAKEMake up a silly handshake
with your buddy.
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
LILY PAD PONDUse two pieces of large paper as “lily pads.” Cross the room
with your buddy, stepping only on the two lily pads, without
touching the “water” (the floor).
Materials: Paper (letter size for older kids; larger for younger kids)
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
TRUST WALKVerbally guide your buddy
across the room while he or she is blindfolded or has his or her
eyes closed, then switch turns.
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
POETRY PROMPTChoose a classroom object
with your buddy and write a short poem or rhyme about it.
Materials: Classroom objects (e.g., stapler, paper, glue, etc.)
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
PUT OUR HANDS TOGETHER
Work with your buddy to build a paper airplane using
only one hand each.
Materials: Paper
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
SKETCH IT OUTDescribe a special place
(e.g., your room, neighborhood park, house) for your buddy
to sketch based only on your verbal description. No peeking until the end!
Materials: Paper and pencils
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
BACK-TO-BACK BUDDIES
Sit with your back against your buddy’s back and try to
stand up together without using your hands on the floor.
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
STUCK TOGETHERTry to cross the room with your
buddy, while keeping your adjacent feet (or shoulders or elbows)
in contact at all times.
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
WHAT’S IN A WORD?Choose a vocabulary word with
your buddy, and generate as many words as you can, using only
the letters in the original word.
Materials: Vocabulary words, paper, and pencils
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
SPELLING STORIESWork with your buddy to
write a short story using all of your spelling words.
Materials: Spelling words, paper, and pencils
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
WHAT’S THE USE?Choose a classroom object with
your buddy, and use your imagination to generate as many
traditional and non-traditional uses for that object as possible
(e.g., a ruler can be used to measure, scratch your back, stir).
Materials: Paper and pencils
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
A DAY IN THE LIFEChoose a classroom object
with your buddy, and write a story together from the object’s
perspective (e.g., A Day in the Life of a Stapler.)
Materials: Classroom objects, paper, and pencils
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
STORYTELLINGChoose two objects with your buddy and write a short story
that incorporates both.
Materials: Classroom objects, paper, and pencils
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
BLOWING BACKSit across from your buddy and
blow a crumpled paper back and forth to one another.
Materials: Paper
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
BACKWARDS ABCSWrite the letters of the
alphabet backwards on a shared piece of paper, alternating turns
with your buddy.
Materials: Paper and pencils
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
PARTNER PORTRAITSSit facing your buddy, and draw
him or her in that moment.
Materials: Paper and pencils
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
CROSSWORD BUDDIESWork with your buddy to
complete a crossword puzzle.
Materials: Crossword puzzles
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
PUZZLE PARTNERSPut a puzzle together
with your buddy.
Materials: Puzzles
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
SCOOTSit in a chair next to your buddy.
Try to scoot your chairs to be back-to-back, using only your feet.
Materials: Chairs
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
BUDDY EDITRead and comment on your
buddy’s creative writing.
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
WHO AM I?Write the name of someone
famous on a sticky note and place it on your buddy’s forehead (so he or she cannot read it).
The buddy with the note on his or her forehead asks yes or no questions until he or she can correctly guess
the name on the paper.
Materials: Sticky notes and pencils
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
THE SCOOBY DOOTalk with your buddy for a
minute, and put an ‘r’ in front of every word (e.g., “Rhi. Rhow
rare ryou?”).
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
TOOTHLESS TALKTake turns telling your buddy
about your day without showing any teeth.
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
RAPID RUNHold hands or link elbows with
your buddy, and run as fast as you can in place for one minute -
silently (no laughing!).
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
MIRROR, MIRRORTake turns mirroring your
buddy’s actions.
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
CLAP CLAPPlay or make up a hand-clapping song or game with your buddy.
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
WALK THIS WAYTake turns naming an animal that your buddy has to walk
around pretending to be.
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
MADE YOU LAUGHTry not to laugh for as long
as possible while your buddy stares or makes silly faces at
you. Next, switch turns.
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
WHAT CAN YOU MAKE?Work with your buddy to create a picture using 15 dot stickers.
Materials: Dot stickers, paper, markers
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
BUDDY PHOTO BOOTHTake silly pictures with your buddy.
Materials: Camera
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
WHAT’S MISSING?Sit with your buddy and place
five to ten small items between you. Remove one item from the collection while your buddy’s eyes are closed.
Have your buddy guess which object is missing, switch roles.
Materials: Small classroom objects
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
BUDDY COLLAGECut images and/or words out
of magazines to create a collage with your buddy that shows things you have in common.
Materials: Paper, scissors, glue, magazines
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
ADD-ON-PICTURECreate a picture with your
buddy by taking turns adding to the drawing. When one person
lifts his or her pencil from the paper, switch turns.
Materials: Paper and pencils
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
IMAGINARY HIDE-AND-SEEK
Think of a place to mentally “hide.” Tell your buddy your general
location (e.g., I’m hiding in the classroom.), and have them guess where specifically you are hiding
(e.g., under the desk, behind the board).
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
SPELLING HANGMANUse your spelling words to play
hangman with your buddy.
Materials: Spelling words, paper, and pencils
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
PAPER BALL SOCCERSit across from your buddy, and decide together where
to place your “soccer goals.” Next, crumple a small piece of paper and play “soccer” using
just your index finger to “kick” the ball.
Materials: Paper
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
SQUIGGLESDraw a squiggly line or shape
on a piece of paper while your buddy does the same.
Switch papers and turn your buddy’s squiggle into a new picture
by adding to the drawing. Next, incorporate both of your drawings
into a story you write together.
Materials: Paper and pencils
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
BUDDY ANAGRAMSWorking with your buddy,
use the letters from your first names to create two new
“buddy names.”
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
WHEELBARROW BUDDIES
Hold your buddy’s feet as he or she walk forward on his or her hands. See how far you can
go, then switch places.
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
BOWTIE BUDDIESUsing only one hand each, tie a piece of ribbon into a bow with your buddy.
Materials: Ribbon
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
WORD BUILDERSStart by writing down a letter. Next, your buddy adds a letter with a particular word in mind.
Continue alternating adding letters until you have spelled out a word.
Materials: Paper and pencils
COLLABORATIONS
UPPER GRADE
TIC-TAC-TOEPlay tic-tac-toe with your buddy.
UPPER GRADE
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
TELEPHONEOne person whispers a
message to the person sitting to his or her left. That person then passes the message to the next person, and so on.
The last person to receive the message says it out loud.
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
ARE YOU WITH ME?Sit in a circle with one person
standing in the center. The person in the center states one thing about him or herself. Anyone who shares that commonality has to quickly get up and change seats. The last
person standing is the next to share in the center of the circle.
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
DO THE WAVEIn a large circle, one person begins by lifting his or her hands up into the air and
bringing them back down, and is quickly followed by the next person, followed by the next
(and so on), creating a “wave” around the circle.
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
FRUIT SALADSitting in a circle, with one person
in the center (without a seat), everyone is assigned one of four kinds of fruit (e.g., apple, banana,
strawberry, pear). The person in the center calls out a fruit, and those people quickly get up and change
seats. The last person standing calls out the next fruit. If “fruit salad”
is called, everyone gets up and finds a new seat.
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
WANDER BREAKOne person starts as the announcer
and everyone else as wanderers. When the announcer says,
“Wander!” everyone slowly walks around the room. When the
announcer calls out, “break” and a number (e.g., “Break four!), everyone gathers into groups
of that number.
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
ADD A BEATOne person begins by creating a beat, using only his or her body
(clapping, snapping, whistling, etc.). The next person joins in with a new sound or variation of the beat. Each
person adds a new sound until everyone is participating.
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
PASS ITSitting in a circle, the group has to quickly pass the ball around as the leader calls out different
instructions (e.g., pass behind your back, pass to every other person,
move closer together, move farther apart, etc.).
Materials: Ball
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
CLAP, SLAP, SNAPOne person starts as the leader and
creates a clap, slap, snap pattern for the whole group to follow.
Switch leaders and repeat.
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
FOLLOW THE LEADERForm one line with everyone’s hands on the shoulders of the
person in front of him or her. Follow the leader as he or she navigates
the classroom and calls out different pretend obstacles that
will change the manner of movements (e.g., sticky mud,
slippery ice, wind blowing from the front, lily pads across water, etc.)
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
BUDDY TO BUDDYStand with a buddy and listen
for the announcer to call out two body parts to connect (e.g., “elbow to nose”). After all pairs connect, the announcer says, “Switch,” and everyone must find a new buddy.
The last person to pair up becomes the new announcer.
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
HOLD THAT POSEOne student starts as “it” and
calls freeze for everyone else to act like statues. The person who is “it” tries to make the statues
break out of character and laugh. The first to laugh becomes “it”
for the next round.
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
STOLEN GOLDSit in a circle with one person
standing in the middle. Someone sitting has a hidden penny. At “go,” those seated begin slyly
passing the coin around the circle. The coin can reverse direction at any time, and others can pretend
to pass it. The person in the middle calls “stop” and guesses
who has the coin.
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
WHO’S THE LEADER?One person is “it” and leaves the
room (or closes his or her eyes and covers his or her ears in the corner).
The rest of the group picks one person to be the leader, who will begin doing a movement (e.g.,
tapping feet, clapping hands) for everyone to follow. When the
leader begins a new movement, everyone must switch as well. The
person who is “it” rejoins the group and has to guess who is the leader.
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
POPCORNEveryone slowly walks around the room. Once everyone has
spread out, the announcer calls out a number and an object (e.g., “two, rocking chair!”).
Those who are walking must form groups of that number and create
that object with their bodies. Switch announcers and repeat.
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
BALL TOSSWhile holding a ball, someone
announces a category (e.g., sports, plants, presidents,
celebrities), and then names something in that category. He or she then tosses the ball to
someone else, who has to quickly name something in that same category, and toss the ball to someone else. Start over with
a new category if someone is stumped.
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
CHARADESTake turns choosing a card from a deck of picture or word cards. Act out what is on the card, and have the group guess what it is.
Materials: Cards with pictures or words
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
QUESTION TOSSEveryone writes a general
question (e.g., what is your favorite movie?) on a piece of paper, signs their name, and crumples it into
a ball. Then, students form a circle and toss the questions into the center. Next, everyone chooses
a question, finds the person who wrote it, and answers it.
Materials: Strips of paper
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
SAY MY NAMEForm a circle with one person
standing in the middle. The person in the middle says someone’s name
three times quickly. The person whose name is being called must
say the middle person’s name before the third time. If he or she can’t, they switch places, and the
new middle person chooses a name to say three times quickly.
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
WHERE’S MY HERD?Everyone is randomly assigned
an animal (assign two to six people the same animal). When the leader says, “go,” everyone begins making
the sound of their animals, while listening to find the rest
of their “herd.”
Optional: Index cards with the name of an animal
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
SILENT SQUEEZEForm a circle with everyone holding hands. One person starts a “silent squeeze”(e.g., short, long, short) that each person must pass on
exactly as he or she receives it. The person who started announces whether the squeeze made it
around the circle without changing.
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
WORD SCRAMBLEEveryone receives a card with
either a scrambled or unscrambled word written on it. The challenge
is to find the person with the scrambled/unscrambled version
of the word and sit down together.
Materials: Cards with spelling words– half spelled correctly, half scrambled
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
FREEZE RIPPLEEveryone quietly walks around the room with the person who is “it” walking amongst them.
The person who is “it” secretly taps someone on the shoulder, who then
freezes. When others notice that someone is frozen, they must freeze too. See how long it takes for the entire group to notice and freeze.
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
GOTCHABegin with everyone sitting in a circle. On the count of three
everyone must look in one of three directions: 1) at the person on their right, 2) at the person on their left, or 3) at the person directly across from them. If two people look at one another, they yell, “Gotcha,”
and step out of the circle.
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
SHAPE SHIFTERSWhen the announcer calls out a number and an object, everyone must quickly get into groups of that number and arrange their
bodies to create the object.
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
ALPHABETICAL ORDERStudents must work together to get in alphabetical order
according to first names.
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
BIRTHDAY ORDERStudents must work together to get in order according to
birthdays, from January to December.
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
CATEGORY CALL OUTSomeone announces a category
(e.g., favorite color), and everyone forms groups as fast as possible
based on their answers (e.g., all the greens in one group, all the pinks in one group, etc.).
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
CIRCLE THE CIRCLEEveryone stands in a circle and joins hands with a hula-hoop
placed over the arm of one person. The challenge is to find a way to move the hula-hoop all the way around the circle while all hands
remain joined.
Materials: Hula-hoop
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
DON’T BREAK THE LINELay a rope or line of tape on
the floor with everyone standing in random order. The challenge is to line up in height order while
keeping at least one foot on the line at all times.
Materials: Rope, string, or masking tape
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
HUMAN KNOTIn small groups, standing in circles,
everyone randomly grabs two other hands. Next, everyone must work
together to unravel the knot without letting go of any hands.
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
SHRINKING ICEBERGPlace squares together on the floor to create an “iceberg.”
Students must have at least one foot on it at all times without
touching the ground outside the shape. Take away one square at a time until the group can no longer
squeeze onto the iceberg.
Materials: Carpet/cardboard squares
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
SILENT ORDEREveryone is randomly assigned a number. Without talking, the group must work together to
line up in order.
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
WHAT GOES DOWNForm two lines facing each other.
Everyone holds out an index finger facing up so that the fingers form a line down the center. A yardstick (or other object) is placed across the outstretched fingers, and the group must lower the yardstick to the floor together, without using any other finger or part of their body, and without curling their
finger around it.
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
FORTUNATELY, UNFORTUNATELY
Gather children into a circle and announce a story prompt.
Challenge the group to go around the circle, with each child adding
one sentence to the story. The sentences should alternately
begin with “fortunately” or “unfortunately”.
Example: It was a dark and stormy night.
1) Fortunately, I’m not afraid of the dark.
2) Unfortunately, I don’t like storms.
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
WHO AM I?On a strip of paper, everyone
writes something about himself or herself that they would like to share, and that others may not
know. After writing, crumple the strips into balls and mix them in the center of the circle. Everyone
takes a turn choosing and reading, and trying to identify the person
described on the paper.
Materials: Strips of paper
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
HUMAN WORD SEARCHGive each child a paper with a letter on it. Challenge children
to combine their letters to form a word.
Materials: Strips of paper
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
KEEP IT UPToss a balloon around the circle without skipping over anyone
and without letting it drop. Students may only touch the
balloon one time with one hand.
Materials: Balloons
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
CATCH ONChoose a topic (e.g., vegetables)
and toss a ball, naming something from the category with each catch. When someone repeats an item or can’t think of something, start over
with a new category.
Materials: Ball or waded up paper
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
WHY? BECAUSE.The first person writes down a
“why” question (e.g., Why is the sky blue?) on the top of a piece of paper. He or she folds the paper, and passes it to the next person, who - without seeing what was
written before - writes an answer beginning with “Because”
(e.g., Because owls are nocturnal.). Keep it going and read it all out
loud for a funny story.
Materials: Paper and pencil
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
THE HUMAN CHAIRStand together in a tight circle, facing the back of the person in front, with hands on his or her
shoulders. On the count of three, everyone sits on the lap of the
person standing behind him or her.
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
FIRST LETTER, LAST LETTERThe first person picks a category (e.g., food) and starts by naming something in that category (e.g.,
fish). The next person has to name something that falls in the category and starts with the last letter of the previously named item (e.g., ham).
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
SNAKE’S TAILForm one line with everyone’s hands on the shoulders of the
person in front of him or her. When the leader says, “go” the person in the front of the line tries to catch
the person at the back of the line - without the line coming apart.
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
IN AND AROUNDEveryone stands in a circle and
holds hands. One person starts in the middle of the circle and calls in another person to join him or her.
Continue adding people to the middle, one at time – the last
person in calls in the next person. See how many people can fit in the middle without breaking the hands.
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
FRIENDSHIP WEBSit in a circle with one person
holding a ball of yarn. The person with the yarn holds the end, gives someone a compliment, and rolls
the yarn to that person. The person who receives the yarn thanks the person for the compliment, holds on to a section of the yarn, and continues rolling the yarn along
with a compliment.
Materials: Yarn
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
SUPERMARKETOne person says, “I went to the supermarket and bought an ___
(something that begins with “a”). The next person repeats the
previous sentence, and adds an item that begins with “b.” Continue adding to the list all the way to “z.”
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
WORD ASSOCIATIONSOne person begins by stating any random word (e.g., banana). The
next person repeats the first word and adds another word associated with the first word (e.g., split). The next person repeats the last word and adds a word associated with
that one (e.g., lip), and so on.
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
TP TALKAs a roll of toilet paper gets passed around, everyone takes one to ten squares. After everyone has their
toilet paper, reveal that the number of squares is the number of facts
each person needs to reveal about him or herself. Then, start sharing.
Materials: Toilet paper
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
UPPER GRADE
ACTION INTROSEveryone takes turns introducing themselves with an action word
placed before their first name that begins with the same letter
(e.g., Leaping Larry).